ESP and ESB: Belief in personal success at mental telepathy.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34 (2):
240--247 (1976)DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.34.2.240
Abstract
32 undergraduate student pairs undertook 100 trials in each of which the sender tried to transmit mentally 1 of 5 possible symbols to the receiver in another room. After each trial both members indicated whether they believed a hit had been scored. These hunches or "extrasensible beliefs" (ESB) were compared across 2 experimental variations. For half of the pairs (choice and involvement condition) the members chose the symbol set to be used, and the sender shuffled and dealt the symbol deck. Orthogonally, for half of the pairs there was a warm-up period (communicative experience condition) during which members discussed their telepathic technique. It was predicted and strongly confirmed that both of these variations would independently increase ESB. It was also found that senders had higher ESB than receivers. These belief variations were entirely independent of actual telepathic success (ESP), which was no different from chance levels. Results are interpreted within the framework of E. J. Langer's (1975) "illusion of control" theory that people behave in chance situations as though in skill situations, to the extent that skill-related cues are situationally present. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)